What is a pollinator management plan?
A pollinator management plan (PMP) is a written document that outlines strategies and best practices for managing and supporting pollinator populations at a site.
Having a PMP provides:
- A reference for implementing, sharing and monitoring your pollinator goals.
- A roadmap for immediate and long-term pollinator management on your farm.
A well-written PMP is flexible and dynamic enough to change as you adjust cropping schedules, budgets and goals, and, importantly, as you develop your pollinator knowledge.
This PMP guide was developed to supply Midwestern specialty crop growers with location-relevant information to support developing cropping schedules, budgets, goals, and pollinator knowledge to best manage pollinator populations.
How to develop your own PMP
Start by envisioning what your farm will look like, how pollinators will be integrated into your landscape, and the benefits they will bring over time.
Your vision can integrate both your professional and personal values. If you are new to pollinator management, we suggest creating a vision that includes 1-year, 3-year, 5-year and 10-year goals. Start small and build from there as your knowledge, resources, and interests grow.
Prompts
- Why are you interested in supporting pollinators?
- What is your vision for pollinator management on your farm in 5-10 years?
- What will you do to help support pollinators and how will they benefit your crops, marketing, landscape, and life in general on the farm?
Examples
- “I strive to be a good steward of the land, and the land includes pollinators. My vision is to farm in harmony with nature while earning a living wage.”
- “I envision having multiple fruit crops in production (e.g., honeyberries, apples, fall-bearing raspberries) and other plantings that support pollinators year-round.”
We recommended breaking up goals into shorter and longer-term time blocks, such as 1 year, 2 to 5 years, and 6 to 10 years.
Clearly defined goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) not only motivate and inspire, but also help direct limited resources like time and money toward vision-driven priorities.
Prompts
- What will you do to support pollinators on your farm?
- What PMP long-term benefits do you hope to generate?
- What new knowledge and/or funding will be needed to achieve your long-term vision?
- Who will help with installation of your PM plan?
Examples
- “Establish 2 acres of land in permanent prairie by 3 three as a source of pollinator habitat with financial assistance from a cost-share program.”
- “Identify flower and fruit fungicides that have minimal impact on pollinators in year one and adopt at least 25% of crop land.”
- “Become certified as a “Bee Friendly Farm” (BFF) in the short term and immediately begin leveraging this in my marketing materials.”
- “Explore ways to support honey bee health in orchards using integrated pest management. Identify at least one new practice to implement in year 2.”
- “Reduce pesticide drift contamination from neighboring farms in years 1 to 3.”
Inventory your land and current plantings to identify habitat, food, and water resources for managed (e.g., honey bees) and native pollinators.
Start by using an aerial photo or a hand-drawn map to identify areas that can be adapted to support pollinators. A photo or map will help you visualize existing pockets of pollinator habitat and opportunities for new habitat that can be filled over time, such as:
- Crop areas
- Edges
- Hedgerows
- Forest areas
- Conservation land
- Water sources
- Homestead perimeters
Next, inventory other, non-physical resources that may be useful as you plan, install, and maintain pollinator habitat. These resources can include expertise or knowledge, time, and funding:
- Physical resources, for example, tillable acres, pasture, forest, water, and soil types
- Expertise or access to knowledge from conservationists or pollinator experts
- Available time, including your own, as well as volunteers, interns, and hired help
- Funding available from income, cost share, grants, and loans
Prompts
- What native and managed pollinator resources do you already have in place on your farm? Remember, resources include summer and winter habitat, nectar for food, and water.
- What opportunities do you have to create new habitat?
Examples
Phil Stowe from Walking Plants Orchard in Osakis, Minnesota used an aerial map, which included his packing shed and farm house, to identify existing cropland, water sources, and CRP areas as well as areas where he plans to install new native pollinator habitat, including honeybee hives, fruit trees and honeyberries.
As you develop strategies, let your vision, goals, habitat resources, and any future opportunities guide you.
Look back at your current resource inventory. What are your soil type(s), water availability, crops, and existing pollinator habitat? Think about the seasons and pollinator needs for flowering plants like forbs, habitat and water during different times of the year.
Common pollinator management strategies include focusing on protecting, conserving, restoring, establishing and/or maintaining habitat, forbs and water resources.
Key actions to support pollinator habitat on your farm
- Provide buffer strips or habitat near fields or orchards
- Increase flower abundance and diversity; aim for continuous bloom throughout theSeason Provide nesting habitat
- Reduce impact of mowing
- Communicate with beekeepers about pesticide applications
- Reduce pesticide use and follow IPM
- Maintain riparian buffers that provide pollinator habitat
- Plant cover crops in between rows or as a rotational crop
- Create or maintain water sources for pollinators
- Introduce or maintain quality nectar and pollen resources
- Keep an eye out for native pollinators to see the positive impact you are having.
Prompts
- How will you achieve your PM goals?
- What actions will you need to take in the short term and long term?
Examples
- Construct and install 20 bumble bee houses for placement around fruiting crops in year 1.
- Research and apply for “Bee Friendly Farming” (BFF) certification from Pollinator Partnership in years 1-2.
- Add “Bee Friendly Farming” (BFF) logo to my farmers market stand and packaging in year 2.
- Restore small wetland on NE corner of farm to create water for pollinators in the short-term.
- Identify cost share opportunities to help pay for at least $2,000 of wetland restoration and riparian pollinator habitat installation cost.
- Protect existing hives and habitat by talking to neighbors about spray drift and register my hives on FieldWatch in year 1.
- Host CSA volunteer events in fall to help with maintenance of existing native prairie strips.
- Establish 200 feet of new native pollinator habitat along perennial fruit crop field edges in year 2.
Create a short and long-term timeline for implementing your PMP strategies using a list or calendar.
Be sure to include any plantings that may be needed to fill flowering gaps and/or to attract crop-specific pollinators. Most pollinator habitat is installed gradually with adjustments made as plants mature, cropping systems change, and goals evolve.
Prompts
- What is your timeline for implementation?
- What will happen each month or season or year?
- What will you plant and when?
Example
- “Prepare site at least 12 months prior to seeding. Plan to seed pollinator seed mix in fall.”
Given your goals, strategies, and timeline, estimate the costs associated with your PMP.
Think about what expenses will be necessary as you implement a strategy, along with on-going maintenance each season or annually. Start by capturing expenses, such as:
- Labor
- Installation
- Maintenance
- Materials
- Seeds
- Plants
- Signs
- Mulch
- Utilities
- water
- Other
- Equipment
- Fuel
Next, research added “income” that may result from your PMP. Income here refers to:
- Market premiums for pollinator-friendly farming services.
- Gross sales generated from pollinator farm tours or educational events.
- Cost-share or grant opportunities that may be available to help you pay for the pollination services on your farm.
- Examples:
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
- State Board of Water and Soil Resources
- Examples:
Finally, calculate the net annual investment needed to implement your PMP:
(costs - [grants or cost share + market premiums]) = net annual investment.
Based on your final budget numbers, are there any changes needed to your goals and strategies? If so, revise these now and create an updated budget.
Prompt
What will your PMP cost annually over the next 1 year, 2 years, and 5 years?
Example
The tables below show a Year 1 and Year 2 pollinator management plan budget developed by Phil Stowe of Walking Plants Orchard. The table for Year 1 shows what Phil Stowe of Walking Plants Orchard expected to spend establishing the site in the first year. The table for Year 2 estimates what it would cost to maintain the site the following year.
Phil's Year 1 expenses equaled $9,874 with an income of $0, making his total cost $9,874. Year 2 expenses equaled $2,992 with an income of $0, making his total cost $2,992. The total cost for Year 1 and Year 2 was estimated to be $12,866.
Year 1
| Expense | Unit | Quantity | Price per unity | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Hour | 20 | 20 | $400 |
| Seed starting mix | Package | 1 | 50 | $50 |
| Forb plants | Item | 1 | 250 | $250 |
| Haskap bushes | Item | 682 | 7 | $4774 |
| Soil amendment | Acre | 1 | 400 | $400 |
| Equipment rental | Day | 1 | 500 | $500 |
| Landscape fabric | Foot | 3,300 | 1 | $3,300 |
Year 2
| Expense | Unit | Quantity | Price per unit | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | Hour | 100 | 20 | $2,000 |
| Fencing wire | Bale | 1 | 200 | $200 |
| Fencing t-posts | Post | 132 | 6 | $792 |
Budget assumptions
- All overhead expenses are attributed to the haskap bushes and Conservation Reserve Program.
- Only hired labor is included in labor estimates and is assumed to be 20 hours total during Year 1 and then 5 hours per week for 20 weeks (May through August) in Year 2.
- Existing irrigation supplies will be used, so no cost was attributed to these or for water, which is pumped from a well.
- The budget assumes no opportunity cost for land that will be planted with flowering perennials and Linden trees, as the land does not otherwise support crop production.
Telling their story: Pollinator management plans case studies
These case studies feature Pollinator Management Plans (PMPs) implemented by Minnesota specialty crop farms
Walking Plants Orchard in Todd County
Walking Plants Orchard is a small fruit farm in Osakis owned by Phillip Stowe since 2003. The land has 55 acres enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
Stowe originally purchased the land with plans to gradually establish a fruit farm and retire from his full-time software job.
Stowe proudly manages 1.5 acres of haskap, also called “honeyberries"; 2 acres of fruiting trees, including cherries, aronia berries, apples, apricots and peaches; and 20 additional acres of CRP.
Much of the remaining land is leased to another grower who sustainably produces Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans), a prairie plant used in CRP seed mixes.
A large honey producer also places approximately 20 hives on Stowe’s land every summer.
Haskap is Stowe’s cash crop, yielding 3,000 pounds of fruit (3 pounds per plant) annually. He sells it wholesale to four wineries and two meaderies in Minnesota. In 2024, Stowe also began marketing a portion of his harvest as frozen and processed haskap jams and vinegars for direct sale to consumers.
When asked about pollinators on his land, Stowe discussed his goal of managing in ways that would support pollinators and other beneficial insects.
“I want to learn what not to do to make sure that I am not harming the bees on the farm,” he explained.
After a careful inventory of Stowe’s management practices and natural resources, we learned that he was, in fact, doing everything right.
Stowe has and continues to manage his fruit trees and the 1,000 haskap plants primarily through organic practices, including using fabric mulch between rows to prevent weeds (in lieu of herbicides) and netting to cover the haskap during fruiting to exclude damaging insects (instead of spraying insecticides).
In addition, Stowe employs what are called “keystone pollinator practices” such as:
- Planting nectar-rich Dutch white clover around the perimeter of his haskap and tree fruit plots.
- Allowing weedy areas to flower.
- Maintaining a small pond to provide water.
- Encouraging nesting areas by providing undisturbed ground, hedgerows, buffer strips, tree snags, and bee nesting boxes.
Developing a pollinator management plan
After learning more about Stowe’s current management practices, we worked with him to create a pollinator management plan (PMP) that focused on:
- Filling flowering gaps on the farm to provide additional nectar and pollen sources for wild pollinators.
- Registering his land on BeeCheck to prevent pesticide drift from neighboring farms.
- Becoming Bee Friendly Farm certified to help brand his product.
- Including information on his website about pollinator practices on his farm to educate consumers.
Stowe created a PMP in the fall of 2024 to address his new pollinator goals, including planting another 682 bushes of haskap and establishing a new section of Dutch white clover. The haskap varieties were selected to take advantage of different bloom times from April to June.
Stowe will also plant Linden trees along the northern edge of the CRP acreage, as well as a variety of native perennials with staggered bloom times in pocket areas around the farm to increase nectar and pollen availability throughout the seasons.
Stowe estimates that the cost of planting and maintaining the new haskap, clover, trees and perennials during the first two years will be $12,866. These direct costs include labor, seeds, plants, trees, soil amendments, landscape fabric, equipment rental, and fencing.
The future vision for the property, written by Stowe as part of his new PMP, reads:
As organic producers of haskap berries with honey bee hives and approximately 20 acres of additional CRP, we strive to produce a marketable crop with the help of native pollinators ... We would like to extend our ‘pollinator season’ to include late summer and fall while introducing our customers to pollinator practices. The habitat needed to support this vision requires observing, maintaining and enhancing our landscape to allow native pollinators to thrive in abundance.
Stowe’s plan is featured in this technical guide for U.S. Midwest specialty crop farmers.
Molin Meadows Farm in Isanti County
Evan and Jessica Molin run a mixed vegetable and cut flower operation that also offers “agri-tainment” in the fall to as many as 1,200 visitors each weekend.
Located 2 miles north of the Anoka Sand Plain in Isanti County, Molin Meadows Farm sits on 25 acres of former pasture and is surrounded by traditional corn and soybean operations.
The Molins purchased their farm in 2018 and spent the first year clearing brush and establishing plots for planting on three acres. Crops include a rotation of tomatoes, peppers, green beans, zucchini, pumpkins, and sweet corn, among other things.
From the beginning, the Molins have managed their land using strictly organic practices to build pollinator habitat. Zinnia (Zinnia asteraceae) is interspersed between vegetable rows to attract bees, moths and butterflies.
“We planted two rows of zinnias for every eight rows of produce beginning that first season,” explains Evan.
Pollinator habitat has gradually been expanded over the years to improve crop pollination and yield as well as biodiversity.
“Biodiversity improves disease resistance,” Evan explains. “This is important when you don’t spray [pesticides or fungicides].” In addition to avoiding sprays to comply with organic recommendations, the Molins plant winter rye and clover as cover crops each fall to improve soil fertility and help with weed control. “Sometimes we let the cover crops flower before tilling to benefit the pollinators,” Evan says. “But we always terminate the cover before it goes to seed.”
The Molins sell their produce and cut flowers at the Cambridge Farmers Market and through a self-serve farm stand, on-farm events, U-Pick, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscriptions.
Flower shares for the CSA come from 1/8 acre of peony (Paeonia spp.) plantings and another 1/8 acre of flowers planted annually, including:
- Ageratum (Ageratum asteraceae)
- Comphrena (Gomphrena amaranthaceous)
- Celosia (Celosia amaranthaceous)
- Cosmos (Cosmos asteraceae)
- Amaranth (Amaranthus)
- Salvia (Salvia officinalis)
- Bee balm (Monarda didyma)
- African marigolds (Tagetes erecta)
- Lizianthus/prairie gentian (Eustoma gentianaceae)
- Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.)
- Redbor kale (Brassica oleracea ‘Redbor’)
“Pollinators fit in well with our farm. We are very cognizant of how pollinators are needed to do what we do,” says Evan. With this philosophy and an interest in expanding cut flower offerings, the Molins met with Jason Beckler, a conservationist with the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources, to develop a formal pollinator management plan for the farm. Together, Jason and Evan created a 2-year plan to:
- Surround the new pollinator plantings with a 1-acre green firebreak planted with a clover mix.
- Install 2.8 acres of new pollinator-friendly perennial plantings in place of brome on what was formerly a horse pasture.
- Install 1.7 acres of native flowers and grasses that support butterflies and provide income as a butterfly garden for farm customers.
- Add a 100-foot hedgerow of native spring-flowering shrubs, such as red-osier dogwood and pussywillow, along the south border of the farm to provide a spring source of nectar for pollinators and a cash crop that can be marketed.
Evan estimates that installing the new 5.5 acres of pollinator plantings will cost approximately $13,900. He plans to apply for a cost-share program to help offset the costs. Without assistance, Evan says he likely will not complete all of the project.
Molin’s plan is featured in this technical guide for U.S. Midwest specialty crop farmers.
Reviewed in 2025